How to Make Your Copy Sound Like a Real Conversation
The Copywriter Column #218
Summary
Most people don’t actually know how they talk. So they fall back on sounding like everyone else. In this piece, I’ll show you how to make your copy feel like a real conversation—one your reader actually wants to be part of. We’ll talk rhythm, word choice, how to use dialogue without it getting weird, and how to find your own voice (not someone else's you copied off LinkedIn). It’s not about being casual. It’s about being real.
Why Your Copy Doesn’t Sound Like You (and How to Fix It)
"Write like you talk" is great advice until you realize most people don't know how they talk.
They know how they text.
How they write emails.
How they present to their boss's boss in quarterly reviews.
But when it comes time to actually sounding human in their copy? They fall back on brand voice decks, swipe files, or whatever ad just popped up in their feed.
So how do you find your version of conversational? How do you make it so your copy feels like a real interaction and less like a pre-approved press release that went through seven rounds of legal review?
I gotchu 👇
Rhythm Is Everything
Conversational copy isn't just what you say, it's how it sounds in your reader's head.
When someone talks to you in real life, you're not just processing their words. You're hearing the pace, the pauses, the emphasis. You're following their rhythm.
And your copy needs that same flow.
Read your writing out loud. If it doesn’t flow and feel natural, it won’t read that way either.
If you stumble over a sentence when you say it, your reader's brain will probably stumble over it too.
So here are some tips:
Tip #1: Break up long thoughts into shorter lines.
Dense paragraphs feel like work. Short lines feel like conversation (usually).
There’s a reason I try to avoid large chunks of text in these articles. It’s because I respect your brain.
Tip #2: Use sentence fragments for emphasis.
Because they work.
Tip #3: Let your punctuation breathe.
Ellipses… dashes… whatever feels right for you. Don't let some style guide from 1987 dictate how you create pause and emphasis.
And by all means—use a damn em dash! It’s been around since the 15th century. Anybody who thinks it’s a “tell” for AI has never read Hemmingway or Dickinson.
Tip #4: Don't smooth out everything.
Some bumps in rhythm are what make it human.
Perfect, polished prose feels cold.
A little unevenness feels real.
Remember, “conversational” doesn't mean sloppy. It means natural. And natural has its own kind of precision.
Use Dialogue (But Don't Force It)
If you're going to talk to your reader, actually talk to them. But avoid the fake dialogue thing that makes everyone cringe:
❌ "You're probably thinking, 'Wow, this is genius. How did they know exactly what I needed?'"
❌ "Me: Here's the solution. You: Mind blown."
Please stop.
Your reader knows you're not actually having a conversation with them, so don't make them participate in your imaginary dialogue. Better approaches:
Ask the questions your reader's already thinking. But don't put words in their mouth. Just acknowledge what's probably going through their head and address it directly.
Answer them like a real person would. Not like a chatbot that's been trained on every customer service script ever written.
Use internal monologue to build trust. Share your actual thoughts, hesitations, or realizations. "Honestly, I wasn't sure this would work either until..." feels more authentic than manufactured relatability.
The goal with dialogue is connection, not performance.
Words Are Vibes!
Conversational copy isn't about sounding casual. It's about sounding right.
Your word choices set the tone before your reader even processes your message. So choose words that sound like they came from a human being, not a committee.
That means:
Swapping fancy words for simple ones. "Utilize" becomes "use." "Facilitate" becomes "help" or "make easier." "Optimal" becomes "best."
Saying "let's get into it" instead of "this article will cover." One feels like an invitation. The other feels like a syllabus.
Cutting hedge words like "just," "maybe," or "kind of" (unless they actually sound like you). These words often creep in when we're trying to sound less aggressive, but they usually “just” make us sound unsure.
Choosing active over passive voice. "We built this tool" instead of "This tool was built." Active voice feels more direct and human.
Using contractions. Don't say "do not" when you'd naturally say "don't." It's not "cannot"—it's "can't."
Your voice doesn't need to be flashy.
It needs to be yours.
If you naturally speak more formally, don't force yourself to sound like a startup founder. If you're naturally casual, don't stuff yourself into corporate-white-collar-talk. The goal is authenticity.
Find Your Natural Voice
If I had to hedge a bet, it’d be that most people haven’t actually listened to how they communicate when they explain something they care about.
We know how we sound when we're nervous (presentations), when we're being careful (emails), or when we're trying to impress (LinkedIn posts). But we don't know how we sound when we're just... us.
So here’s a short exercise to help you figure that out:
Step 1: Record yourself explaining something.
Pick a topic you know well—your product, your process, even something unrelated like how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Record yourself explaining it to an imaginary friend. Talk for 2-3 minutes.
Step 2: Transcribe it.
Word for word. Include the "ums," the false starts, the tangents.
Step 3: Highlight what feels natural.
Look for phrases you use repeatedly, how you transition between ideas, and your natural sentence structure. What feels most like "you"? Write it down.
Step 4: Rewrite it with polish, not perfection.
Clean up the rambling and remove filler words, but keep the structure and phrases that feel authentic.
Step 5: Keep a voice bank of stuff that sounds like you.
Do this exercise a few times with different topics. You'll start to see patterns of certain phrases, rhythms, or ways of explaining things that are distinctly yours.
With this exercise, you're not trying to sound like a brand. You're trying to sound like a human being with opinions, experience, and a perspective worth hearing.
Sometimes “Conversational” Isn't the Move
I mean, if you're writing for lawyers, ER docs, or CFOs, don't try to "LOL" your way to conversions.
Conversational doesn't mean casual.
It means clear.
It means approachable.
It means not sounding like a LinkedIn influencer trapped in a sales funnel.
A financial advisor can be conversational without being chummy: "Your 401k is probably underperforming. Not because you made bad choices, but because the default options aren't designed to maximize your returns."
A B2B software company can be conversational without being cutesy: "Your current workflow is costing you time you don't have. Here's how to get it back."
The key is to match your tone to your audience's expectations while still sounding like a human being.
A surgeon doesn't need you to sound like their drinking buddy. They need you to sound competent, clear, and like you understand their world.
(You get the idea.)
Final Thoughts
The goal with conversational copy isn't to write like a marketer. It's to write like someone worth listening to. And people listen to people who sound like they're not trying too hard.
Think about the voices you actually want to hear from—the ones whose emails you open, whose content you share, whose recommendations you trust.
They don't sound like they're performing. They sound like they're talking.
They have opinions.
They make connections.
They explain things in ways that make sense.
They sound like themselves.
So don't try too hard. Don't chase the latest copy trend or try to sound like whoever's going viral this week. Just figure out what you actually sound like when you're being helpful. Then write like that.
Your audience is waiting to hear from a real person, not another perfectly optimized marketing message.
And the conversation starts with you sounding like you.
Want to simplify your approach to copywriting?
The Minimalist Copywriter's Playbook is a free micro-course that strips away complexity and reveals the core strategies that transform your copy (and your results).
The Copywriter Column is a weekly glimpse into the mind of an agency copywriter. Thinking about subscribing? Here’s what else you can expect.